Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Like father, like son?

Yair Lapid may have spoken very nicely to that group of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews that I showed you right after the election. But deep down, he's still Tommy's son. And to understand Yair Lapid's real positions, you have to know a little bit about his father, Tommy. This is from a post I did several years ago.

Not everyone has been pleased with the new olim (immigrants). In July
2002, nearly 400 American immigrants arrived in Israel at the height of
the 'Palestinian' war against the Jews. What could be more inspiring to a
country under siege, and in the throes of a long-term recession, than
400 Jews choosing voluntarily to plight their troth to Israel’s future?
These immigrants were not fleeing for their lives, but rather choosing
to enter a war zone. Most of them left behind secure jobs to come to a
country with unemployment at over 10% and rising.

Not
surprisingly, their arrival occasioned a great deal of fanfare. But a
few days before their plane touched down, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
published an article on Beit Shemesh, the planned destination of many
of the immigrants. In that article, then-Shinui leader Tommy Lapid
complained that North American aliyah is overwhelmingly religious. He
added for good measure, "Quite frankly Israel could do without
[religious North American Jews]." (Shinui was an anti-religious Israeli
political party).

Lapid subsequently clarified that he did not
mean to single out religious North American immigrants. In his opinion,
Israel could do without charedi (ultra-Orthodox) immigrants wherever
they come from; indeed it could do without the charedim that were
already here.

Lapid declared that his political agenda includes making the Reform and
Conservative movements – both popular in the United States – equal to
orthodox Judaism in terms of state support.

State support? As in money? So that's the agenda - take the money from the Haredi yeshivos and build reform and conservative temples all over the country?

Let's go to the videotape. More after the video.

“I want to do everything in my power to ensure the equality between
all movements of Judaism in the state of Israel, Orthodox, Conservative,
or Reform,” he declared. “In conversions, in budgets, in the eyes of
the law. No one can claim ownership over the Jewish God.”

“Small, old, petty politics cannot determine something that is eternal as is the Jewish identity, this is just wrong,” he added.

There are other things that concern Lapid.

He also spoke of his determination to negotiate with the Palestinian
Authority for the creation of an Arab state in Judea and Samaria, a
point that he has previously stated is a key condition to his
partnership in any coalition.

Failure to separate from the Arab population of Judea and Samaria
(Shomron) would mean that Israel ceases to be a Jewish state, he argued.

You will note also that Lapid credits the leaders of organizations who have presided over an intermarriage rate in excess of 50% for 'saving the Jewish identity.' SAVING WHAT????

All of which made me wonder about... Naftali Bennett.

Bennett leads a party that until recently was known as the National Religious Party. That party, now known as Jewish Home, is said to have a pact with Lapid that one will not go into the government without the other. In fact, a short while ago, a free newspaper was delivered to my house in which Shas leader Eli Yishai complains that the pact between Jewish Home and Lapid's Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party is 'stronger than he thought.' Really?

The National Religious Party - the group that sees the State of Israel in religious terms - is going to be a part of overseeing the dismantling of the Chief Rabbinate? The National Religious Party, which for 65 years symbolized the role of Orthodox Judaism in the State is now going to vote for funding for conservative and reform temples? And you wonder why Rabbi Ovadia Yosef had such nasty words for Jewish Home during the election (and yes, I heard people say that they would have voted for Jewish Home but for Rabbi Yosef's command not to)?

And you, Eli Yishai, you didn't understand until now why the non-Haredi public is fed up with paying 70% of its income in taxes to support yeshiva students some of whose heads aren't really so into studying Torah after all? You didn't think that the students who work under the table on the side and who are 'carried on the rolls' of yeshivas without ever being there weren't going to come back to bite us?

I know that's not a fair description of all of the yeshiva students or even a majority of them. Most of them - at least most of the ones with whom I come into contact - are very serious about their studies, but even one who is taking money from the State to support his studies and not studying is one too many and reflects poorly on those who are studying seriously.

And so - Eli Yishai, Naftali Bennett and the MK's of United Torah Judaism (who really do take their orders from their rabbis), can we get together and save our society before we end up with Tommy's plan?

4 Comments:

The best way for Bayit Yehudi to achieve its objectives, including annexation of Area C (where I happen to live) is to make a devil's pact with Yesh Atid.

Lapid wants some kind of "two state" solution - but may very well limit that "state" to Areas A & B of Judea / Samaria. Indeed, he likely gets it by now that returning to the 1949 suicide lines simply isn't feasible, in terms of Israel's long term security.

Both parties want to see Charedim serve in the army, and engage in the workforce.

Both parties want to reduce the size of government.

How many "Reformim" really voted for Lapid anyway? The minuscule community of Refo/Cons here probably votes Meretz anyway.

Support for liberal Judaism is an American talking point, not a serious Israeli political platform.

Overall, Lapid and Bennett know that their best chances of entering the coalition, is entering it together.

Hey, Adam... has anybody considered instituting "Counties" as an interim set up? With County Clerks maintaining land title registries?

And, I've never cottoned to the concept of the govt doling money to religious organizations. In the US they've tried to do it for drug treatment and for food distribution. And I've never thought it was a good idea. Money is political. Picking and choosing. And easily corrupting. I'm always looking for friendlies in Israel (and I've found some!).

I AM ALL FOR IT...if Lapid wants to make sure that ALL the REFORMS (Charedi, Reform, Conservatives, which are ALL distortions of Torah brought by exile) are treated equally in financial terms; that is that they DON'T GET STATE MONEY AND EXEMPTIONS that working Israelis serving in our nations security don't get (there is NO REASON to exempt yeshiva students from paying local taxes and pay them to study in yeshivah, while university students who served in the army must pay the taxes and also their professional studies VERY MUCH!) .

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About Me

I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com